Total pages in book: 186
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
His right arm was sleeved, the most striking part a portrait of a fallen angel inked along his upper arm. Wings were damaged and half-folded, head bowed low. The detail was so precise, it looked like the feathers might shift if I touched them.
The piece had always felt heavy. His left arm was more abstract. Broken chains spiraled from his shoulder, the links jagged and fragmented. Beneath them, a serpent coiled tightly around a dagger.
That one, I understood.
Behind his right ear, I caught a glimpse of the tattoo I’d always assumed was for Crowsfell: a crow perched atop a skull, sharp and minimal. It matched the football team’s emblem enough to pass.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I said quickly, even though we both knew he hadn’t been asleep.
The door clicked softly as it shut behind him. “You didn’t.”
“I couldn’t sleep. 1031 texted again.”
He walked over and held his hand out. I gave him my phone, and he read the messages in silence. He went to the nightstand and set the phone down gently, like it might explode if handled too roughly. Then he turned and pulled the comforter back with one hand.
“Come here.”
I frowned slightly, but scooted back, tucking myself against the headboard. Ryder slipped into the bed beside me. He pulled the covers up over both of us, then lifted his arm. That was all the invitation I needed. I shifted toward him, and his arm came around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded. “I just… didn’t want to be alone.”
“You’re never alone,” he murmured.
“I know that, but it still freaks me out, Rye.”
“Your Huntsman won’t be winning the Hunt this year. I can promise you that, Sass. You don’t have to be afraid. Nothing’s going to hurt you, baby.”
I leaned in, resting my head against his chest. The steady rise and fall beneath my cheek slowed the panic better than anything else could. I absentmindedly toyed with his half of the necklace we shared, tracing around where it rested on his chest.
“How do they know I’m in here?”
“They’re guessing. They know we’re home for the weekend and this is where we always stay. It wouldn’t be hard to assume you’d be here tonight.”
Rational Sanj, the voice that had been screaming logic into my ear earlier, nodded in agreement.
It made sense.
It should’ve made me feel better.
Ryder’s hand moved slowly, his fingers tracing gentle patterns along my upper arm. Then he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. The action seeped straight into my chest, like it belonged there.
“Talk to me,” I murmured, “Please.”
“Remember Siesta Key?” he asked after a beat, his voice threading with something softer. “The second night, when the power went out because Rook tried to ‘fix’ the AC to blow colder?”
A laugh escaped me. “God, yes. And we all ended up piled in the living room with flashlights and melting popsicles.”
He smiled against my temple.
“I also remember Nick opened every freaking window for nature vibes like we were in Jurassic Park, which I still think existed, mind you.”
“And Xander tried to tell a ghost story to scare you, but you fell asleep before he even got to the twist.”
I grinned, remembering it all vividly now.
“You were curled up next to me,” he continued, quieter now. “Wearing that oversized Boondocks shirt you stole from Cade, with marshmallow fluff on your cheek.”
I blinked, startled by the detail.
“You always fall asleep first,” he added, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “That night…I hardly slept at all. I couldn’t with you beside me like that. You looked so damn peaceful, Sass. And I remember thinking, right then, I could sit and watch over you like that for the rest of my life.”
I wasn’t sure why that made me so emotional.
Maybe it was the look in his eyes. Maybe it was the way his voice wrapped around the words like a vow. Or maybe it was just him. He’d always been by my side. Even when I didn’t deserve him. Even when I pushed him away.
“I’ve really missed you,” slipped out before I could stop it.
The silence that followed stretched between heartbeats and memories. Ryder didn’t move. He stared at the ceiling, his expression unreadable in the soft flicker of fireplace light. His bare chest rose and fell, steady. His arm stayed around me, holding me close. Finally, he spoke. It was so quiet and certain, it made my chest ache.
“Not anywhere near as much as I’ve been missing you.”
I shifted closer, snuggling into his side until there was no space left between us. My leg brushed his, my hand rested against his ribs, and I tucked my head beneath his chin. It was as close as I could get without climbing on top of him. His body curved around mine like instinct. As if this was always where I was meant to be.